Recently, the novelty industry has seen a substantial rise in articles of clothing that are provided with various illustrations or designs. For example, hats, T-shirts and even trousers are provided with likenesses of well-known personalities, illustrations derived from various popular motion pictures, school names and emblems, cute, witty phrases and advertising logos. In each case, the purpose and function are the same: to provide others with a view of a particular illustration or design, be it for the novelty (e.g., entertainment) purposes only, advertising, or both.
For the most part, however, such novelty garments are totally passive; that is, they merely present a design illustration that is to be viewed. There is no specific interplay between the viewer, the article of clothing and/or the wearer unless the illustration requires the one viewing to perform some deciphering function.
The present invention, therefore, has as a primary object the use of clothing as an item of entertainment, novelty or advertisement. The invention includes forming a pocket on an inner surface of a portion of an article of clothing. The pocket so formed is adapted to contain such novelty items as plastic footballs, confections and the like. A dispensing aperture is formed in the portion to communicate the outer surface of the portion to the pocket and thereby allow ingress and egress of the contents of the pocket. The size and shape of the dispensing aperture is determined by the objects to be dispensed therefrom so that only one object at a time will be dispensed from the pocket via the aperture. The outer surface of the portion is provided with an illustrative design fashioned in such a way so as to suggest to a viewer the aperture as a point from which whatever is contained in the pocket may be dispensed.
One embodiment of the invention contemplates the use of a T-shirt as the article of clothing. A sheet of material is affixed to the inner surface of the chest or front portion of the T-shirt to define a pocket.
Imprinted on the outer surface of the T-shirt is a likeness or illustration of a conventional gumball machine (e.g., a machine of the type having a glass jar-like container for gumballs sitting on a bottom section which functions to accept coins and dispense the gumballs). The pocket and gumball machine illustration are relatively positioned in generally registered relation. A small slit in the T-shirt forms the dispensing aperture which is positioned to provide communication to the pocket for egress of whatever the pocket contains from the pocket. The aperture is also positioned relative to the machine illustration so that the aperture is incorporated into the design features -- in this case, the dispensing trough or chute of the machine representation. Since the illustration imprinted on the garment in this embodiment of the invention is a gumball machine, it stands to reason that gumballs will be contained within the pocket and dispensed (via appropriate manipulation through the T-shirt) through the dispensing aperture.
If desired, an additional pocket may be formed in the same manner as described above. A second slit is formed in and positioned relative to the additional pocket for communication thereto. The slit thereby forms a coin-receiving aperture which provides ingress for coins to the second pocket which holds the coins. Preferably, the coin-receiving aperture and pocket are situated with respect to any coin-accepting mechanism representation of the gumball machine illustration to present some modicum of integrity in the particulars of the machine so illustrated.
A number of advantages are achieved by the present invention disclosed. First, as a novelty item, a confection-dispensing garment provides a novel form of interaction between the viewer and wearer not heretofore realized. Not only is the invention to be viewed but it may be utilized to actually dispense confections or the like to the entertainment and delight of the viewer.
Further, it should be evident that the invention is uniquely adapted as a medium of advertising. A manufacturer of certain confections can advertise his products by allowing them to be dispensed through various garments constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, including appropriate illustrations or designs. The design possibilities are limited only by the designer's imagination.
Finally, particular embodiments can be used as teaching devices for children. For example, the present invention can be manufactured in a form which not only dispenses certain objects but accepts and holds coins. Children can use the garment so constructed to obtain a sense of business-like appreciation for selling items and the value put on the sales.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference should be had to the ensuing detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.